177: Enhancing Empathic Responding and Communication in Pediatric Pain Care Across Racialized Identities

Topic: Clinical Science
Subtopic: Itch, Psychology

Background and Aims: High‑quality healthcare is a fundamental right, yet persistent disparities in pain assessment and treatment continue to disadvantage racialized groups. Evidence shows that Black patients’ pain is more frequently underestimated and less adequately treated than that of White patients, suggesting that empathy‑related processes may contribute to these inequities. This work‑in‑progress project aims to examine mechanisms underlying racialized differences in empathic responding during pediatric pain assessment. Specifically, we investigate whether clinical psychologists in training exhibit different emotional and communicative responses to pain expressions from White versus Black children, and whether an empathy‑enhancing intervention can reduce such disparities.

Methods: The study uses an experimental design in which participants -clinical psychology trainees- are randomly assigned to either an empathy‑enhancing intervention group or a control group. Participants view standardized pain expressions from White and Black children. We assess both self‑oriented emotional responses (e.g., personal distress) and other‑oriented responses (e.g., empathic concern). In addition, participants provide verbal feedback to each child, allowing us to analyze whether communication patterns differ according to the child’s racialized identity and intervention condition.

Results: Data collection is ongoing. Preliminary findings, which will be available at the time of the conference, will provide early insight into patterns of self‑ and other‑oriented empathic responding, as well as racially differentiated communication styles. These preliminary results will contribute to understanding how racialized biases may emerge in trainees’ emotional reactions and verbal feedback during pediatric pain assessment.

Conclusions: This study seeks to clarify how empathic processes contribute to racial disparities in pediatric pain care and to evaluate whether an empathy‑enhancing intervention can promote more equitable communication. By identifying mechanisms through which differential responses arise, this work aims to inform the development of targeted interventions to improve clinical training and advance equity in healthcare practice.

References: Drwecki, B. B., Moore, C. F., Ward, S. E., & Prkachin, K. M. (2011). Reducing racial disparities in pain treatment: The role of empathy and perspective‑taking. Pain, 152(5), 1001–1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2010.12.005
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Tait, R. C., & Chibnall, J. T. (2014). Racial/ethnic disparities in the assessment and treatment of pain: Psychosocial perspectives. American Psychologist, 69(2), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035204
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Kissi, A., Van Ryckeghem, D. M. L., Mende‑Siedlecki, P., Hirsh, A., & Vervoort, T. (2022). Racial disparities in observers’ attention to and estimations of others’ pain. Pain, 163(4), 745–752. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002419

Presenting Author: Tine Vervoort
Submitting Author: Tine Vervoort

Senior Author: Tine Vervoort

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Maite Van Alboom: PhD - Ghent University
• Aline Wauters: PhD - Ghent University
• Dimitri Van Ryckeghem: PhD - Ghent University; Maastricht University
• Ama Kissi: PhD - Ghent University